The typical Canadian home is full of toxic substances, which are any chemical or mixture that is harmful to humans, animals, or the environment. We know about a lot of them - we bring them home in the form of household cleaners, detergents, furniture polish, and other products. Others may not be so obvious, such as lead paint used in older homes.

Children and teens start smoking for many reasons, but the most common is peer influence. It's important for parents and caregivers to talk openly about the risks and concerns with smoking and to keep the dialogue going through the teen years.

Second-hand smoke is at least as dangerous as smoking cigarettes directly. Each year in Canada, second-hand smoke is the cause of death for more than 1,000 non-smokers. Find out about the effects of second-hand smoke and how to prevent exposure to it.

In 2008-9, according to the Youth Smoking Survey, 22% of youth in grades 6 through 9 and 48% in grades 10 to 12 reported having tried a tobacco product at least once. 3% of those in grades 6 through 9 and 13% of those in grades 10 through 12 reported being current smokers. So why are so many kids and teens smoking?